Published: Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 6:38 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 6:38 p.m.

When Mike Allen, Belville’s mayor, paid his taxes at one of the town’s previous headquarters for the first time, he didn’t understand why he was doing so in Leland.

Sometime in the next few months, though, Belville will put the finishing touches on a deal for a new town hall, and future residents won’t have any such confusion.

Walking through the now-empty rooms next-door to the town’s existing offices at 497 Olde Waterford Way, though, it’s clear that town leaders know how they want the space to be used.

“Ever since we came on the board, we had a vision,” Allen said. “And part of that vision is that this is ours, a place we can come in, have a nice assembly room and space our citizens can utilize.”

As part of the negotiations, which began in March 2012, the town’s rent for its current 2,000-square-foot suite dropped from nearly $7,000 a month to $3,500 a month.

Officials have already set aside $80,000 for renovations to the space when the final agreement is reached, and they hope to complete initial renovations within three months of reaching an agreement. Some of that money will be used to knock down a wall and increase the size of the town’s meeting chambers.

Another segment of the new space will be given to the Brunswick County Sheriffs Office for use as a substation, housing two detectives and a receptionist.

“The only substation they have right now is on Highway 133, which kind of limits access,” Allen said. “Here is at the center of the northern communities, so it’s a little easier access.”

Members of the board of commissioners are excited about the new space for another reason: They’ll finally have a place to meet and hold office hours, as they will be given a room next to the expanded chambers.

“We don’t have any place we can sit down ourselves or anyplace we can talk among ourselves. Now we finally get a room,” said Joe Breault, one of the town’s commissioners.

The only portion of the building that will take longer to complete is a large community space, which commissioners hope to determine the best use for by surveying residents.

“We’re not gonna tell them. We want them to tell us, and then we can prioritize how it goes,” Breault said. “Once we prioritize that, the idea is to form a citizen’s committee, and they’ll have ownership of the room.”

Breault added that he’d like to use the space to sponsor wellness clinics in conjunction with the Brunswick County Health Department. Other ideas floated for the space so far include Boy Scouts meetings, and a computer space and reading area. But the commissioners are open to various possibilities.

“By giving the people of the town ownership, it gets them to realize that we’re actually doing work for them and it’s not the other way around,” Allen said.

<p>When Mike Allen, Belville's mayor, paid his taxes at one of the town's previous headquarters for the first time, he didn't understand why he was doing so in <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9971"><b>Leland</b></a>.</p><p>Sometime in the next few months, though, Belville will put the finishing touches on a deal for a new town hall, and future residents won't have any such confusion.</p><p>Walking through the now-empty rooms next-door to the town's existing offices at 497 Olde Waterford Way, though, it's clear that town leaders know how they want the space to be used.</p><p>“Ever since we came on the board, we had a vision,” Allen said. “And part of that vision is that this is ours, a place we can come in, have a nice assembly room and space our citizens can utilize.”</p><p>As part of the negotiations, which began in March 2012, the town's rent for its current 2,000-square-foot suite dropped from nearly $7,000 a month to $3,500 a month.</p><p>Officials have already set aside $80,000 for renovations to the space when the final agreement is reached, and they hope to complete initial renovations within three months of reaching an agreement. Some of that money will be used to knock down a wall and increase the size of the town's meeting chambers.</p><p>Another segment of the new space will be given to the Brunswick County Sheriffs Office for use as a substation, housing two detectives and a receptionist.</p><p>“The only substation they have right now is on Highway 133, which kind of limits access,” Allen said. “Here is at the center of the northern communities, so it's a little easier access.”</p><p>Members of the board of commissioners are excited about the new space for another reason: They'll finally have a place to meet and hold office hours, as they will be given a room next to the expanded chambers.</p><p>“We don't have any place we can sit down ourselves or anyplace we can talk among ourselves. Now we finally get a room,” said Joe Breault, one of the town's commissioners.</p><p>The only portion of the building that will take longer to complete is a large community space, which commissioners hope to determine the best use for by surveying residents.</p><p>“We're not gonna tell them. We want them to tell us, and then we can prioritize how it goes,” Breault said. “Once we prioritize that, the idea is to form a citizen's committee, and they'll have ownership of the room.”</p><p>Breault added that he'd like to use the space to sponsor wellness clinics in conjunction with the Brunswick County Health Department. Other ideas floated for the space so far include Boy Scouts meetings, and a computer space and reading area. But the commissioners are open to various possibilities.</p><p>“By giving the people of the town ownership, it gets them to realize that we're actually doing work for them and it's not the other way around,” Allen said.</p><p><i></p><p>Adam Wagner: 343-2096</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @adamwagner1990</i></p>